Search - Hives :: Tyrannosaurus Hives

Well worth the Wait

kayeandcraig | USA | 11/21/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Hives are my favorite band and I love them. The only problem is the 4 year wait in between cds. I'd been waiting for this album for so long and it delivers. Now I got the extra tracks (Uptight and The Hives Meet Norm) from a friend who got them standard because they live in the UK. Don't pay the 40 bucks for them. They're not worth the 40 bucks. Uptight is pretty good but The Hives Meet Norm doesn't even sound like Pelle singing? All in all the album is excellent."

Hives Rex

E. A Solinas | MD USA | 10/01/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Swede rock has been on the upswing in recent years -- Division of Laura Lee, Sahara Hotnights, and (of course) the Hives. After their hit debut "Veni Vidi Vicious," the Hives return with a (short) sophomore album that still harkens back to classic punk, yet expands their old sound.



"Tyrannosaurus Hives" kicks off with a roar in the rebellious "Abra Cadaver," a catchy bass/guitar-driven rocker that slips into the even catchier "Two-Timing Touch And Broken Bones." The first half of the album is made up of songs that sound like their older sound, like the rollicky "No Pun Intended" and roaring bass-rocker "B is for Brutus."



But in the second half, they start to experiment. For example, that the sparking electric guitar sound in "A Little More For Little You," the twitchy squeaks of "Missing Link's" opener or the symphonic punk sound of "Diabolic Scheme." Strings, synths, head-spinning riffs, robotic backing vocals and gentler percussion? You go, boys.



Copying the Ramones? The Stooges? The Rolling Stones? It isn't the Hives' fault that they weren't born in the golden age of rock, and they know it. They do borrow quite a bit, but at least they do it well. While they're not on the level of those rock legends, the Hives do produce good rocks. Their sound is complex, evolving and shows some of the rebel spirit of classic punk.



Their music is a solid mixture of bass and guitar at the core of it all, with twisty melodies that have plenty of verve and punk spunk (I can't believe I just said that). But they add in new elements -- is that a tambourine I hear? And was that a Mexican guitar solo?



Howlin' Pelle Almqvist still yells a lot instead of singing, but at least he's good at it. His high yowls at the start of "Diabolic Scream" are an annoyance -- please, I'm trying to listen to that glorious music. But one area that the Hives have definitely worked on is: songwriting. No gooey girlfriend pop punk here. It's a celebration of noncomformity as Pelle sings "There's no deadbeat worker inside of me!" or the entire "Walk Idiot Walk" song.



The Hives follow up on their original sound with "Tyrannosaurus Hives," a solid rock album that hints at their influences, but explores new territory. A nice listen with some excellent songs."